naturalize

[ nach-er-uh-lahyz, nach-ruh- ]

/ ˈnætʃ ər əˌlaɪz, ˈnætʃ rə- /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: naturalize / naturalization on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), nat·u·ral·ized, nat·u·ral·iz·ing.

to confer upon (an alien) the rights and privileges of a citizen.

to introduce (organisms) into a region and cause them to flourish as if native.

to introduce or adopt (foreign practices, words, etc.) into a country or into general use: to naturalize a French phrase.

to bring into conformity with nature.

to regard or explain as natural rather than supernatural: to naturalize miracles.

to adapt or accustom to a place or to new surroundings.

verb (used without object), nat·u·ral·ized, nat·u·ral·iz·ing.

to become naturalized.

to adapt as if native to a new environment, set of circumstances, etc.

to study or carry on research in natural history.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also especially British, nat·u·ral·ise .

Origin of naturalize

First recorded in 1585–95; natural + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM naturalize

nat·u·ral·i·za·tion, nounnat·u·ral·iz·er, nounun·nat·u·ral·ize, verb (used with object), un·nat·u·ral·ized, un·nat·u·ral·iz·ing.

Words nearby naturalize

naturalism, naturalist, naturalistic, naturalistic fallacy, naturalization, naturalize, natural justice, natural killer cell, natural language, natural language processing, natural law

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use naturalize in a sentence

They were barred from becoming naturalized citizens—and many states passed Alien Land Laws, making it impossible for Koreans to buy their own farmland and control the means of production.
Minari and the Real Korean-American Immigrants Who Have Farmed U.S. Soil for More Than a Century|Andrew R. Chow|February 12, 2021|Time
What set the project apart, though, was that it compared small businesses owned by US-born citizens and naturalized citizens.
How to create compelling content based on existing data|Claire Cole|September 22, 2020|Search Engine Watch
You Xiaorong, a naturalized US citizen, is charged with stealing research on BPA-free coatings for bottles from her employer, Coca-Cola.
A brief history of US-China espionage entanglements|Konstantin Kakaes|September 3, 2020|MIT Technology Review
When they naturalize as US citizens, they gain the right to vote.
A historic 10% of the eligible US voters this November will be foreign-born|Dan Kopf|September 2, 2020|Quartz

The share of those getting naturalized rose from 62% in 2005 to 67% 2015.
A historic 10% of the eligible US voters this November will be foreign-born|Dan Kopf|September 2, 2020|Quartz
The attempt to naturalize them in France, or any Continental nation, he regards as mischievous quackery.
August Comte and Positivism|John-Stuart Mill
A few words on the latest attempt which has been made to naturalize an exotic bird in England will not seem out of place here.
Birds in Town and Village|W. H. Hudson
If I have failed, I have but added another failure to the numerous attempts to naturalize hexameter verse in the English language.
The Feast of the Virgins and Other Poems|H. L. Gordon
When portions of the stem or of the tuber are thrown away by the side of streams, they naturalize themselves easily.
Origin of Cultivated Plants|Alphonse De Candolle
The seeds of sesame often sow themselves outside plantations, and more or less naturalize the species.
Origin of Cultivated Plants|Alphonse De Candolle

British Dictionary definitions for naturalize

naturalize

naturalise

/ (ˈnætʃrəˌlaɪz, -tʃərə-) /

verb

(tr) to give citizenship to (a person of foreign birth)

to be or cause to be adopted in another place, as a word, custom, etc

(tr) to introduce (a plant or animal from another region) and cause it to adapt to local conditions

(intr) (of a plant or animal) to adapt successfully to a foreign environment and spread there

(tr) to explain (something unusual) with reference to nature, excluding the supernatural

(tr) to make natural or more lifelike

Derived forms of naturalize

naturalization or naturalisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for naturalize

naturalize

[ năch′ər-ə-līz′ ]

To establish a nonnative species in a region where it is able to reproduce successfully and live alongside native species in the wild. Naturalized species may be introduced intentionally or unintentionally. Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia but have become naturalized in many other parts of the world.

naturalize

Origin of naturalize

OTHER WORDS FROM naturalize

Words nearby naturalize

Words related to naturalize

How to use naturalize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for naturalize

naturalise

Derived forms of naturalize

Scientific definitions for naturalize